Wordless Wednesday

Ten Years

 Ten years ago, I started a new job.  I had applied through a temp agency and after having interviewed with the company they offered me a job.  I would work through the temp agency until the contract was over and then would have the possibility of being hired by the company.  I know some people do not like the thought of working through a temp agency but I have always enjoyed it.  You have an opportunity to try out the work environment and see how you fit with the company.  

The last Monday in July (it was the 27), I started working part time.  Two weeks later I went full time (well 37.5 hours a week) and then in Oct when the contract was over was hired full time by the company.  

Starting a new job has many emotions…there is excitement, anxiousness, relief, dread, etc.  I was all those in one.  Would I learn the product?  I was familiar with the program I was going to use and I knew I would not be working with the product like the salesmen would but still would I learn it well enough?

Today as I sat at work I thought about that.  I really enjoy this company and am glad I went for that interview.  Hopefully I will be able to put another 10 years in.  

5 Countries

 Here are 5 areas (plus 1 extra) my DNA test showed I am from

• Scotland 
• Belgium
• England & Northwestern Europe
• Ireland
• Denmark 
• Sweden

Ancestry DNA

We recently took advantage of an Ancestry site DNA sale.  We have eagerly awaited our results.  Last Saturday late morning/early afternoon John received his results.  Having sent our samples off at the same time, I thought mine would be along shortly.  I stayed up until 10 that night waiting to see if mine would come.  Finally I decided I needed to give up waiting and go to bed.  I did not want to fall asleep in church the next day.  I woke up Sunday morning and checked my email before getting ready.  My results were available and I also had a message from someone who our DNA showed we were 3rd cousins on our paternal side.

I quickly looked at the results and replied to this cousin who lives in England.  We continue to correspond although we do not yet know how we are cousins - we have not found the common surname.  I looked forward to diving into my results after church.

We got home from church, ate lunch and before settling down for a Sunday afternoon nap, I reviewed my results.  What did I want to look at first?  Did I want to see where my family had come from?  Did I want to see potential relatives?  Did I want to see which traits I had inherited from which parent?

I first looked at my family’s history.  Having heard from where family had come to the United States, that was really not a surprise.  The exciting thing was seeing which countries made up my DNA and from which parent those had come.

Then there were the potential relatives - 50,000 on both sides.  20,000+ on each side.  An aunt was listed.  Then a first cousin from each side.  The potential relatives are listed on a card.  Name is on the first line, relation on second line (the aunt was listed as close family), whether Parent 1 or Parent 2’s side, if that person has a tree in the ancestry site, how many people are on the tree and who manages the tree.  

Next I looked at the traits.  This was interesting.  From what I understand Ancestry has given out surveys regarding the traits.  Somehow they put the traits with the DNA.  Most were spot on.  This was the most freeing part of the test for me.  I was not wrong.  I did belong.  Growing up (and still to this day) I have felt like I did not belong.  And being a people pleaser that is hard.  As I was talking to my sister I was in tears as I said, “you don’t know how freeing this is for me.  We do belong.  We are not wrong.”  We both commented we have felt like square pegs being pounded into round holes.  

This was a great experience.  We took advantage of a Father’s Day sale so got the test for a discounted price.  If you would like to do this I would suggest looking at the Ancestry site and waiting for a sale.  You may be able to purchase them from amazon and other shopping sites as well.  There is a 6-8 week waiting period from the time you send off your sample until you get the results, but it’s well worth it.  I think you will enjoy seeing where you are from and how many cousins you may have.

The Schoolhouse

The empty schoolhouse was old, worn and no longer functional.  The building was in disarray.  It was hard for the passerby to imagine that children had once roamed the halls.  But the school remembered.  The school remembered children arriving early in the morning - still asleep yet eager to talk with their friends.  Children sharpening their pencils before the school day began.  The talk around the hooks on the wall where coats, backpacks and lunchboxes were hung for the day.  The groans when tests were announced or given.  The tears when hard lessons were not quite mastered - whether those hard lessons be book lessons or life lessons in general.  First best friends.  First friends not being friends anymore.  Blue, red and white ribbons from art shows.  Band practices and concerts.  Learning to crawl under the desk for tornado drills, then learning to sit on one’s knees in the hallway with one’s head against the wall, then sitting on the floor in the hallway and putting one’s hands over one’s head.  Learning to line up and walk single file down the hallway, out the door, down the steps and into the play area to wait during a fire drill.  Children being reprimanded for aimlessly wandering the hallway.  Children being congratulated for mastering a subject which had been very hard.  Teachers teaching the lessons, passing out candy as rewards for good behavior, good grades or any other area of motivation needed.  Children gathering in the lunchroom to hurriedly eat their lunch so they could talk with their friends before going back to class.  Outside playtime - whether it be an organized game of tag, kickball, softball, frisbee or just free play.  There were many more minutes of the day the school house could remember.  But now there were just memories. Memories for the school.  Memories for the children.  Memories for the community.  Memories which may have been not too pleasant when they were happening but looking back on them they were good memories - maybe even great memories.  As you drive past that old, worn, no longer functional schoolhouse which is in disarray, listen carefully.  You may hear the faint sounds of the children who once ran the halls.  You may hear a game of kickball, hear giggling as children swing in the swings or ride the merry-go-round.  You may even hear a teacher calling her class to come in from recess.  The school is no longer being used but the lessons learned and friends made stick with each student for a life time.